David Alvarado – My Plea

‘There’s deep and then there’s David Alvarado‘ pronounced Resident Advisor on their review of his 2005 album ‘Transfiguration’, released on NRK Music. Checking out any of his releases that trace all the way back to 1993, you’d be hard pressed not to agree. Hailing from Los Angeles, David’s productions vary in form, yet maintain the same underlining semblance of Deep. ‘Worship’, the release under his Las Americas alias was picked up by Plus 8 Records founders Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva. There’s a hint of tribalism in many of his productions that echoes the sound of Peace Division. His productions have seen him remix U2, as well as release on Strictly Rhythm, Ovum Recordings and Peacefrog Records. The 2002 LP ‘Mayasongs‘, however, surely is the apex of his musical mastery. The quintessential tracklist is of such high standard, we were at pains on selecting which song should be highlighted. ‘My Plea’, however, takes the crown due to its timeless eminence.

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‘Beautification‘, another of the tracks from the ‘Mayasongs’ LP ended up being featured on The Lab 03 by Seth Troxler. A series which also featured mixes by Steve Bug, Loco Dice and Paul Woolford is acclaimed for the supreme cuts it features. Alvarador’s track is a cutting-edge, spaced out affair, bolstering rotating drums and spacey pads. Therefore, it is unsurprising that in conversation with Droid Behaviour David described his sound as ‘very delicate fragile… waiting to fill every corner of that space‘. ‘My Plea’ is the embodiment of such ethos, hitting you with lashings of a Mediterranean sunset party. From the offset you can notice the producer’s piquancy to obliterate the listener with delays and reverb, as the track’s introduction features a female vocal breathing. Layered on top is a Latin drum pattern, similar to one found on his 1998 release ‘La Selva‘. A single note jazz hat oscillates with filter astutely, while a female vocal echoes in as a guitar sample is strummed in. The pads that eventually enter are stringently applied, rising elegantly as a sonar zip completes the soundscape of an aquatic journey. Continue reading →